Repair of chafe on my BCD?

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northcave

Registered
Messages
23
Reaction score
7
Location
Bristol
# of dives
50 - 99
Hi all... I have noticed that my BCD wasn't holding air. I then found some tiny chafe holes where there is some webbing that is stitched in place to hold the waist band on. I have no idea how this happened to be fair.

What are the recommendations for repair? See pics please.
 

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Can't give you much hope.
The hole are too close to the stitched webbing to glue a patch on it.
Often that happens when the diver is not cleaning the inside of the BCD (bladder) enough with fresh water after some salt water has entered the inside.
With time the inside protecting layer is disintegrating causing little bubbles to exit first on the places where tension on the webbing is high.
You can try with Aquasure, but I fear that will not solve your problem.........
 
@northcave More info please. Does your vest have a removable bladder? Could the bladder be leaking somewhere and the bubbles are coming from the areas you have marked?

Make and model of your vest.
Age or number of dives on it.
 
@northcave More info please. Does your vest have a removable bladder? Could the bladder be leaking somewhere and the bubbles are coming from the areas you have marked?

Make and model of your vest.
Age or number of dives on it.

Hi... No it doesn't appear to be removable. It is a Sub Aqua Elite Plus. From 2003. It's really old but looks like new only had about 50 dives on it. I've always rinsed it through inside and out and hasn't got any UV damage or fading.


@northcave Could the bladder be leaking somewhere and the bubbles are coming from the areas you have marked?

It it possible. Not sure how I'd really determine if that were the case to be honest.
 
Hi... No it doesn't appear to be removable. It is a Sub Aqua Elite Plus. From 2003. It's really old but looks like new only had about 50 dives on it. I've always rinsed it through inside and out and hasn't got any UV damage or fading.




It it possible. Not sure how I'd really determine if that were the case to be honest.

Are you sure that's where the air is actually leaking out?
 
Exactly. I would check elswhere starting with manipulating the dumps and testing the inflator
 
Exactly, could be the pin in the inflator.
 
Are you sure that's where the air is actually leaking out?

There is deffo air coming out of the points I highlighted. I inflated it and put soap water in the area of suspicion and there bubbles exactly in the place on the photo. You had hear it hissing out. Looses pressure fairly quickly. Underwater it would be a fair stream of bubbles I'm sure.

I suppose the only sure way of tell is to go under 1-2m with extra weight and inflate and ask someone to observe.
 
There is deffo air coming out of the points I highlighted. I inflated it and put soap water in the area of suspicion and there bubbles exactly in the place on the photo. You had hear it hissing out. Looses pressure fairly quickly. Underwater it would be a fair stream of bubbles I'm sure.

I suppose the only sure way of tell is to go under 1-2m with extra weight and inflate and ask someone to observe.

Unnecessary. It's probably time for a replacement.
 
This may be more trouble than you think it's worth, but if you decide to proceed read on.

@northcave I'm not familiar with the make and model of BC you have, so the best I can do is post pictures of a repair I've done in the past. If you cannot access the inner bladder as I've done in the pictures, you may be able to apply a patch on the inside working through the elbow and over pressure valve fitting holes. First you'll have to remove those fittings. See this video for more information:

I've made patches from bicycle inner tube repair kits and waterbed repair kits. Again, applying the patch on the inside is better practice. You cannot tell from the pictures, but I've installed a patch on the inside and outside of this bladder. It held for years. See this thread: BC bladder repair update.


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My friend Ed had a different approach you may find helpful:
DIY wing. Critique and Comments.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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